Dogs have
been used as draft animals and beasts of burden for many centuries. Dr. Caius
in his 1576 book, Of English Dogs, describes several types of draft dogs;
Tinker Cur, Water Drawer, Turnspit Dog, and Butcher Dog. Traveling tinkers used
the Tinker Cur to carry their tools in pack saddles. According to Agricola
(1556), pack dogs were used in the German mining industry. A woodcut in
Agricola shows a dog pack train and an empty dog pack saddle. This pack saddle
looks similar to horse pack saddles used in the 16thcentury and earlier.

The 16thcentury pack saddle is
different from the familiar sawbuck saddle associated American West. This style
of European pack saddle was used post 16thcentury in England and
Spain. A mid 20thcentury
description of the European pack saddle was used to fill in the construction
details that are lacking in period descriptions and pictures of pack saddles.

Goals

The goal of
this project was to create a pack saddle that appears period from a few feet
away. I desire to learn about saddle construction and function. I believe that
this style of pack saddle functions differently than the sawbuck saddle. I
expect to make several versions of this pack saddle while I learn how to fit it
to my dog and as I learn how this style of saddle works.

Documentation of Pack Dogs and Dog Pack Saddles

Dogs have been used as draft animals and beasts of burden for many centuries.
In his 1576 book, Of English Dogs, Dr. Caius describes several types of draft
dogs: Tinker Cur, Water Drawer, Turnspit Dog, and Butcher Dog [1]. Traveling
tinkers used the Tinker Cur to carry their tools in pack saddles [2].
Unfortunately, Dr. Caius does not give a detailed description of the pack
saddle other than the panniers (saddle bags) were budgets (leather boxes [2a]).

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

According to
Agricola (1556), pack dogs were used in the German mining industry [3]. Dog
pack trains were used in steep mountain areas that were impassible by horses,
mules, and donkeys [4]. A crude woodcut shows a dog pack train (Figure 1) and
an empty dog pack saddle (Figure 2). The panniers (saddle bags) were made of
pigskin leather or linen ("double or triple twilled linen thread")[5].
The woodcut indicates the pack saddle is similar to horse pack saddles used in
the 16th century and earlier (Figures 3, 4, 7, and 8).

Figure 3. Late 16thcentury.

Figure 4. Early 16thcentury.

The European
style of pack saddle is different from the familiar sawbuck saddle associated
with the American West (Figure 5). I believe Agricola did not describe the
construction of the pack saddle in detail because in the 16thcentury
it was a common sight. This style of pack saddle can be found in pictures from
the 11thcentury (Figure 7,
Bayeux Tapestry) through the 20thcentury. I used pictures
of horse pack saddles to fill in construction details that are missing from Dr.
Caius and Agricola's books. W.H. Pyne's sketches [6]from
1808 show the pack saddle from angles not seen in many pre-1601 pictures
(Figures 9 and 10). Joe Back's 1959 book, Horses, Hitches, and Rocky Trails [7],
was particularly helpful (Figure 6).

Figure 5. Sawbuck saddle.

Figure 6. Mid 20thCentury

Figure 7.

Figure 8.

It is valid
to look to horse pack saddles when re-constructing a 16thcentury
dog pack saddle. Instead of inventing something from scratch, people tend to
use existing technology that is familiar. Thus, it makes sense that 16thcentury
pack saddles for horses and dogs would have similar features. Draft technology
evolves.

When a new
draft animal is introduced to an area, the existing technology is applied until
a technology specific to the new animal evolves. This harness and draft
technology evolution has been seen numerous times. Cattle (bovids) were
employed as draft animals before the equids [8]. The neck yoke was invented for
cattle and cattle were controlled by a goad and by reins attached to nose rings
[9]. When the donkey, onager, and horse were first domesticated, the neck yoke,
goad, and nose ring were used [10,11]. Eventually, the bit was invented [12,13]and
the dorsal yoke (chariot harness) [14]was invented for equids.

In the early
middle ages, the draft horse lost his status as a "race car engine"
and for the first time he was used extensively in agriculture[15]. Again, the
draft harness evolved. The breast harness and rigid collar and hames were
invented to allow the horse to pull a plow and harrow efficiently. The North
American Indians of the plains used draft dogs hitched to travois. When the
plains Indians started using the horse in the 17thcentury,
they took their dog draft technology and applied it to the horse[16].

Figure 9. Early 19th century.

Figure 10. Early 19th century.

Pictures of European cart dogs from the
14th
century [17] through to the beginning of the 20th
century, show the dog harness technology and cart technology was similar to
that used with horses (See Appendix B). Rigid collars and hames are used or a
breast collar [18]. Breeching is used, but I have yet to
see a crupper used on a dog. Since I rarely see pictures of cruppers used on
horses prior to 1601, I decided not to make a crupper for my dog pack saddle.
Instead, I only used breeching instead of breeching and crupper. I believe I am
justified in filling the details that are lacking with details from similar
horse pack saddles.

Materials

Wood:
Poplar

Leather

Upholstery
nails

Upholstery
tacks

3/8" No. 3 Blued Tacks

1/2" No. 6 Blued Tacks

Cotton
Strapping (3/4")

Wool
fabric

D-rings

This
is the first version of the pack saddle. What I learn from version 1, will be
applied to the next version. Thus I made the conscious decision to use scrap
materials left over from other projects. The saddle pad is scrap wool that was
originally bought to make a warm winter cloak. The wool fabric was washed
several times in order to give it a more "felt" like appearance [19] (Figures
11 and 6). The poplar wood was found in the scrap pile of Lord Tommaso
Valeriano's wood working shop. 16th century riding saddles were constructed of
Beech [20, 21]. Beech is a lightweight and flexible European hardwood. It was
used because it was a lightweight hardwood that could flex slightly with the
horse's movement. I used poplar because it is also a light hardwood and there
was no beech in Lord Tommaso Valeriano's wood scrap pile.

I
used the blued upholstery tacks because they looked old fashioned and don't
look objectionable from a few feet. I didn't like my scrap leather and I
decided to buy cotton strapping for the girth, breeching and breast straps
(Figure 13). The cotton strapping is off white and has a semi course weave.
From a distance, I feel it doesn't look objectionable and could possibly pass
for linen straps.

Figure 11.
Saddle pad Figure

Figure 12:
Saddle pad and saddle tree

Figure 13. Pack Saddle Tree

Craftsmanship

I am a novice
woodworker. Lord Tommaso Valeriano was kind enough to let me use his modern
woodworking power tools to construct the saddle tree. He gave wood working
advice and made sure I didn't hurt myself. I used a flexible, heavy gage wire
to make a pattern of my dog's back for the saddle tree (Figure 15). I left a
gap at the top of the saddle for her backbone (Figure 16). I am not a talented
seamstress. I hand sewed the saddle pad (Figure 11 and 14) and you will observe
why I do not enter garb in A&S displays.

Figure 14. Saddle Pad.

Figure 15. Fitting the saddle tree.

Figure 16. Gap for backbone

Saddle
Construction/Observations

I
didn't like the thickness of the scrap leather I had. When the leather was
nailed on the saddle tree, I felt the upholstery tack and leather strap stuck
out too much. So, I decided to use cotton strapping for the girth, breeching,
and breast strap. I left the original leather straps on. If they rub my dog's
skin too much, I well replace the leather with the cotton straps. I felt these
cotton straps could pass for linen when observed from a distance of a few feet.
Thus, I felt the cotton straps do not distract from my goal, which was to
create a pack saddle that appears to be period when observed from 5 feet or
more feet.

The
dog pack saddle in Agricola has one girth and no breeching or breast straps
(Figure 2). When I tried the pack saddle on my dog, I noticed the girth kept
slipping back towards her hind legs. The reason the girth slipped is because
dog's belly is cut under more steeply than a horse's belly. Period horse pack
saddles, riding saddles and side saddles have one or two girths (Figure 4). In
fact, side saddles in use prior to 1601 evolved out of the pack saddle [22, 23]
and side saddles are frequently depicted with two girths. In addition, period
pictures of horse pack saddles show both breeching and breast straps (Figures
4, 7, and 8).

Figure 17.

Figure 18.

I added a breast strap to help keep the
pack saddle in proper position. The single girth alone was not enough to keep
the saddle from sliding backwards. Withers on a dog disappear when the dog
lowers his head (Figure 18). On a horse, the withers are prominent irregardless
of the head position. When riding in flat terrain, the withers alone can be
used to keep a horse saddle from sliding too far forward. But you can not
depend on the dog's withers to prevent the saddle from sliding forward. Thus,
for practical use, I added breeching to my pack saddle. Period pictures of
horse harness tend not to show a crupper. Antique photographs of canine carts
show breeching, but no crupper used on a dog25.
Thus, I decided not to use a crupper with my dog pack saddle. The last strap I
added to the pack saddle was the second girth (Figure 21). The second girth is
closer to the front legs than the original. The girths on my dog cart harnesses
are located there and in this position the girth does not slip24.

For practical use, I found the
combination of two girths, breeching, and breast straps prevented the pack
saddle from sliding forwards/backwards and from rotating sideways. The pack
saddle tree keeps the panniers (Figure 22) in place, even when my dog sits
down. I feel the original panniers I made were too deep. The bottoms got muddy
and they swung against my dog's legs more than I liked. The second set of
panniers did not go below the dog's belly (see photos on the table of
contents.) I found a dog pack saddle to be very practical at SCA camping
events. My dog carries my water bottles, feast gear, sewing projects, her water
bowl, and etc. At dog friendly events, I no longer use a basket or basket back
to carry these items.

Figure 19.

Figure 20.

Figure 21.

Figure 22

Dog
Safety

A fit dog should have no problems
carrying up to 1/3 of his weight in a pack saddle26.
16th century Spanish explorers reported that the Navaho and Apache Indians
loaded dog back packswith 30 to 50 pounds27. My dog weighs 58 pounds and according
to my vet, she is very fit. Onethird of
her weight is 19 pounds. Thus, she will have no problems carrying a wallet, car
keys,sewing, water dish, and water bottles
around events. Several years ago, I bought a nylon dogback pack and my dog happily carries two
half gallon milk jugs home from the conveniencestore.
In period, pack horses carried 99 to 150 kg (217- 330 lb) and mules carried 150
kg (330lb)[28].

I designed the saddle tree to have a gap
in saddle tree to accommodate my dog's backbone (Figure 16). The saddle pad has
plenty of padding under the saddle tree. I observed that, in proportion to a
horse, a dog's back is flatter than a horse and has more musculature
surrounding the backbone. Thus, the backbone on a dog is not as prominent as on
a horse, donkey, or mule. This is why, with my dog carts, I have been able to
use just a strap and padding instead of a cart saddle29. A future project is to create a period
cart saddle. I feel this pack saddle project is an initial project to learn
about saddle construction and how saddles need to be fitted to dogs.

De Re Metallica, by Georgius Agricola, 1556. Translated
into English by Herbert Clark Hoover and Lou Henry Hoover in 1912. Reprint by
Dover Publications, New York.

ISBN:
0 486 60006 8

Library
of Congress Catalog Card Number: A51 8994

Pack Dogs and Pack Saddle
descriptions, Pages 168
– 170.

In
the winter time,…they also fill sacks made of hide and load them on dogs. …
Some of the Noricians collect ore during the winter into sacks made of bristly
pigskins and drag them down from the highest mountains, which neither horses,
mules nor asses can climb. Strong dogs, that are trained to bear pack saddles,
carry these sacks when empty into the mountains. When they are filled with ore,
bound with thongs, and fastened to a rope, a man winding the rope around his
arm or breast drags them down through the snow to a place where horses, mules,
or asses bearing pack-saddles can climb. There the ore is removed from the
pigskin sacks and put into other sacks made of double or triple twilled linen
thread, and these placed on pack-saddles of the beasts are born down to the
works where the ores are washed or smelted. If, indeed, the horses, mules, or
asses are able to climb the mountains, linen sacks filled with ore are placed
on their saddles, and they carry these down the narrow mountain paths, which
are passable neither by wagons or sledges, into the valleys lying below the
steeper portions of the mountains. … the beasts either carry it (ore) away on
their backs or drag it away after it has been thrown into sledges or wagons.

Of English Dogs, Dr. Johannes Caius, originally
published in 1576. Facsimile reprinted in 1993 by Beech Publishing House, West
Sussex, England. Page 32.

ISBN:
1 85736 070 2

Tinker Cur

Because
with marvelous patience, they bear big budgets fraught with tinker's tools and
metal meet to mend kettles, porridge-pots, skillets, and chafers, and other
such trumpery; requisite for their occupation and loitering trade: easing him
of great burden, which otherwise he himself should carry upon his shoulders;
which condition hath challenged unto them the foresaid name.

Besides
the qualities which we have we have already recounted, this kind of dog hath
this principal ingrafted in them, that they love their masters liberally and
hate strangers despitefully; whereupon it followeth that they to their masters,
in traveling, a singular safeguard: defending them forcibly from the invasion
of villains and thieves, preserving their lives from loss, and their health
from hazard, their flesh from hacking and hewing, with such like desperate dangers.
For which consideration they are meritoriously termed.

Harness and Pack, Arthur Treadwell Walden, 1935.
Published by American Book Company, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago, Boston,
Atlanta.

Chapter
19, page 151.

A
dog can carry about a third of his weight and do it easily. There are two
troubles with dogpacking, however. One is that when dogs become hot they want
to lie down in every spring and brook they come to, thereby soaking the load.
Another is, if they catch sight of a rabbit, a stampede is likely to ensue. All
that can be done in that case is to follow them and pick up what they have
scattered on the way.

Chapter
4, page 28.

There
are two kinds of pack saddles. The sawbuck saddle was made on a wooden frame
and because it was stiff and unyielding was very hard on the horse. For this
reason the Spanish "aparejo", which was made of leather, was much
superior to the wooden saddle. This Spanish or Mexican saddle consisted of a
sheet of leather about 30 inches wide which extended over the horse's back and
well down his sides. It was well padded underneath so that it fitted the animal
snuggly. There was a wide breast strap and breeching, or holdback strap, which
passed behind the haunches, and a girth or "cinch" underneath. With
this kind of saddle it took an expert packer to put the load on, but the horse
could do his work much better with his back protected in this manner. The packs
were tied on by means of noose-like knots called "hitches."

Appendix B: Additional period pictures of pack saddles and
side saddles.

Copyright 2013 by Rebecca Morris,
<TheDancingJewel at aol.com>. Permission is granted for republication in
SCA-related publications, provided the author is credited. Addresses change,
but a reasonable attempt should be made to ensure that the author is notified
of the publication and if possible receives a copy.

If this article is reprinted in
a publication, please place a notice in the publication that you found this
article in the Florilegium. I would also appreciate an email to myself, so that
I can track which articles are being reprinted. Thanks. -Stefan.